Best Strategies To Promote Your YouTube Channel
Billions of users log in to YouTube every month and watch billions of hours of videos on the platform every single day. But there are over 23M YouTube channels fighting for the attention of viewers. How can you promote your YouTube channel and ensure your videos don’t get lost in the sea of content?
Over the last three decades, YouTube has transformed from a niche website to the world’s biggest video-sharing platform. If you’re into video marketing, YT is a great platform to grow your business or personal brand. However, it is a competitive space. So here we give you some tactics that could be used to promote your YouTube channel.
YouTube Algorithm Factors You Need To Know
Getting a user to click on your video and start watching your video content is no longer sufficient. Until 2012, the YT algorithm rewarded the view count on videos. Now, though, it has re-jigged it with the goal of maximizing long-term viewer engagement and satisfaction. The two factors that weigh heavily are:
- Watch Time: The duration of viewing a video.
- Session Time: The overall time spent on YouTube.
The algorithm “follows the audience”, which means that you need to maximize user engagement and focus on retention. A few other important metrics that the algorithm relies on are the likes/dislikes and the “not interested” feedback. So these are two important aspects that you get familiar with before you promote your YouTube channel.
Some Proven Methods To Promote YouTube Channel
1. Write Engaging, Must-See Titles
YouTube marketing is all about presentation. Titles are make-or-break when it comes to your video’s performance. The key to crafting killer titles is grabbing your audience’s attention without resorting to clickbait headlines. People crave content that’s entertaining, and they likewise want to know what your video is about from the word “go.”
2. Keep Engaging Your Followers
One of the best ways to promote your YouTube channel is to always engage with your fans and companies you admire. Never underestimate the value of this step. It seems so simple, but can easily be overlooked as a tedious task when there’s a lot to do. Whether it be directly on YT or one of your other social media sites, make sure you’re responding to people’s likes and comments quickly. And don’t simply say: “Thank you!” and move on, try to actually start a conversation. Ask if there’s something they would like to see in your next video, or if they have any suggestions to offer for improvement.
3. Use The Community Post Wisely
The YouTube Community Tab is an underrated place to promote your upcoming videos. All you need to do is create a post that explains WHY people should look forward to your video. Then, preview what that video will cover.
4. Promote Videos With Custom Thumbnails
YouTube offers automatic thumbnails for any video content, but so you can start promoting your YT channel in the best way, create a custom YouTube thumbnail for each published video. The thumbnail and headline need to grab the attention of your prospective audience. It's recommended that you spend almost as long creating your YT thumbnail images and coming up with a great headline as you spend creating the video. This might be an effective way to promote your YouTube channel.
5. Figure Out What Your Audience Wants
With any type of content you produce, you want to make sure it’s aligned with what your audience wants. Whether you’re writing a blog post or creating a video, start by getting to know your audience and what type of content they want to see from you. If you’re just starting to promote your YouTube channel, take a look at your competitors or other video creators in your industry. Look at which of their videos get the most views and engagement. This will give you an idea of what topics your audience wants to learn about and what style of videos they prefer. Another solution is to look at your YT Analytics if you’ve already uploaded videos. YT gives you detailed information on audience demographics, location, engagement, and other helpful stats.
6. Hook People In The First 30 Seconds
The success of your video will depend on how engaged your audience is with its content. You have around 30 seconds to catch the attention of a viewer. You need to convince them that your content will offer more value – entertainment or a solution – than the hundreds of other content creators on the platform. Many content creators, especially those who seek to entertain, make a promise to their audience in the first 30 seconds of a video. Others, make sure to include a great YT intro in all their videos. It's one of the effortless ways to promote your YouTube channel.
7. Target Google Search Results
As noted, YT is totally killing it when it comes to SEO. And while you shouldn’t totally create content for search engines versus people, you should promote your YT channel with SEO in mind. Specifically, product reviews, how-to’s, and long-form videos covering keyword-specific topics tend to rank well in search engine results pages. If you’re strapped for content ideas or want to capitalize on a trending buzzword in your industry, consider how you can do so through your YT channel marketing along with promoting your YouTube channel.
Conclusion
Creating a YT channel with a decent follower base may take time and effort, but possible. If you put in the time and effort, promoting your YouTube channel will enable you to reach your target audience effectively. Make sure your video titles are rich in keywords. Create customized thumbnails and informative video descriptions. Engage your subscribers and other YouTubers, too! Complement these strategies with great content, and your YT marketing will be a success.